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6.890 Algorithmic Lower Bounds: Fun with Hardness Proofs

6.890 Algorithmic Lower Bounds: Fun with Hardness Proofs (Fall 2014, MIT OCW). Instructor: Professor Erik Demaine. 6.890 Algorithmic Lower Bounds: Fun with Hardness Proofs is a class taking a practical approach to proving problems can't be solved efficiently (in polynomial time and assuming standard complexity-theoretic assumptions like P ≠ NP). The class focuses on reductions and techniques for proving problems are computationally hard for a variety of complexity classes. Along the way, the class will create many interesting gadgets, learn many hardness proof styles, explore the connection between games and computation, survey several important problems and complexity classes, and crush hopes and dreams (for fast optimal solutions). (from ocw.mit.edu)

Instructor: Erik Demaine. In this lecture, Professor Demaine introduces the concept of 3-partition and its many variations, a starting point for NP-hardness reductions. Weak and strong NP-hardness proofs are seen in the context of other examples.

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